Wind of Change
Chapter 2
The shared sleeping arrangement mostly kept Bodhi's nightmares at bay, or else he was just too tired for them to penetrate his sleep. Even so, judging by the dark circles under Jyn's eyes, she hadn't been so fortunate. He hadn't heard her, and she hadn't wakened him for company, but it was evident she had not slept the night through.
They were stowing his bedding out of the way to clear a path on the floor when a knock sounded at the door. Jyn gestured for him to open it since he was nearest, and they found Baze and Chirrut smiling at them. There was no evidence of surprise from either at finding the two together, and Bodhi was glad not to have to explain his presence in her room.
Jyn's clothes had dried during the night and a check found that his had also, so both changed back to their usual attire in order to keep the other clothes clean for sleeping. As he donned his uniform, Bodhi ran a hand down the front of it. He was almost tempted to just stay in the rebellion-provided clothing. This outfit made him stand out for his Imperial roots.
No. He shook his head. He was being foolish. He could do this.
The mess hall was busier and more crowded, but the four of them managed to find an unoccupied table in an out-of-the-way corner to claim.
"Do..Do you suppose they'll mind if we look around today?" he asked. "I mean, there isn't really anything for us to do here. I'd be curious to see the place. If they'll let us, I mean."
Baze grunted neutrally, neither arguing for or against their chances or any interest he might have. Before anyone else could speak, a sergeant approached them.
"You want to join us?" he invited, but the man shook his head.
"Thanks, but I've already eaten. I just came to let Erso know that Mon Mothma put out the word to the Council and they'll be arriving throughout the day. She's figuring to have the meeting tomorrow at 0900 to discuss the Death Star and what information you all have found."
Jyn nodded without comment and, after a moment, the sergeant moved away.
"I wonder why the Captain did not come tell us about this."
Chirrut's remark almost felt like he was hinting at something, though Bodhi didn't know what it might be. "Well, he's probably busy, isn't he?" He wasn't sure why he was making excuses for Cassian, but he suspected that question was in everyone's thoughts. If anyone disagreed, they didn't say so.
Allowed or not, Jyn didn't bother to ask permission and they strolled at leisure. If the scowls and hostility seemed too great, Bodhi did try to quickly steer her away, not wanting any trouble. He couldn't help it, but his favorite was the hangar and the collection of various fighter craft. He had studied for two years trying to score high enough for fighter training, but never managed it. It took a while after that to even get a shuttle license.
"You like them?"
Bodhi turned at the question, surprised to have anyone other than his friends speaking to him.
"Yeah. I didn't make it as a TIE pilot. That's why I was flying shuttles, but…" He sighed. Truth was, he didn't stand out at anything. He was just one of many in the crowd.
The man stuck out his hand. "Wedge Antilles."
Bodhi hesitantly shook it. "Yeah, I remember you from before. How'd you get stuck with us? You being punished for something?"
Wedge chuckled. "No, but I do know how you feel. I was in the Imperial Navy until I defected a few years ago. It does get easier." He gestured around at others in the hangar. "They have to be wary. It's too easy for someone to pretend defection so as to spy for the Empire. Eventually they'll trust you, when they've had time to see that they can."
"Then why aren't you more wary? Just because you defected too doesn't mean you can trust me."
Wedge shrugged. "Captain Andor wasn't concerned about you being spies. I trust his judgement."
The others joined them then and Bodhi hastened to make introductions. The previous day they'd really only gotten the man's name when Cassian had him show them to quarters, and then he'd been called away when that was accomplished.
Wedge eyed Jyn, apparently pegging her as the leader of their small group. "So, what's with you all being here? Scuttlebutt is handing around a lot of ideas, most of which I doubt. I know they've called in the Council for a meeting so it must be something big." He paused, then said, "Or are you not allowed to tell me?"
Jyn shrugged. "You'll find out soon enough. The Empire's built a weapon, a planet-killer – my father helped, unwillingly. But he rigged a weakness in it. We need to get the plans and destroy it."
Wedge scowled down at the ground. "Kriff. They just keep thinking of new and better ways to kill people or make them suffer." He met Jyn's gaze. "It won't count for much, but I'll be on your side in the meeting. Just…they're a lot of politicians. The Alliance's military force will be represented, but most of the time the politicians pull the strings. You should know that going in. They're going to fight you every step of the way."
He didn't say it, but Bodhi thought he was suggesting it was a fight they couldn't win. He glanced at Jyn, but she had crossed her arms and looked her most defiant. Yeah, they might lose, but the politicians would know they were in a fight with her leading them.
"Come on," Wedge told them, "I'll show you around. It will make it easier for you if I'm flying escort." He grinned ruefully.
"What is this place," Baze asked. "It's ancient."
"It's an old temple that was actually built by a Sith Lord and his Massassi warriors some five thousand years ago. There's still a lot of debate about how they managed to do it without modern technology. We only set up base here about a year ago. What you see inside is all mostly new, but they tried to leave the exterior as it originally was. They also did some excavation down to put in more hangar space." He gazed around him, then added, "It's pretty amazing what they accomplished in so short a time, but the Empire doesn't give us much breathing room to do things at a slower pace."
"How'd they come to choose here?" Jyn asked, more for the sake of conversation than any apparent interest in history. Bodhi suspected her present was far too intense for her to spend time dwelling on the past.
"Because it's not on official Imperial maps. I'm sure that played a big part in the choice."
"Yo, Wedge!"
The pilot turned toward the voice, seeming to recognize it. A man in grease-stained clothing was waving him over. "Would you excuse me for a minute. He's working on my ship – I better find out what he wants."
There were murmurs of agreement as Wedge moved away. "He seems nice enough," Bodhi commented, glad to finally have found someone here who was.
Jyn turned toward Bodhi, but then stopped and stared past him. Before he could turn to see what had claimed her attention, Chirrut called out, "Good day to you, Captain Andor."
Cassian was walking with two other people and he said something to them, before stepping away to come greet them. Whatever he'd said to his companions, they didn't wait for him.
Bodhi could feel the tension wrapping around them as if they were being secured in bindings. He could almost wish Chirrut had kept silent and not drawn Cassian over to them. At length, the Captain asked, "You are all settled in, then?"
Jyn crossed her arms belligerently; clearly she wasn't going to make this easy for him. Bodhi figured her desire to apologize was warring with affront at his seeming to avoid them.
"Yes, others have seen to our needs," Jyn told him. The question of why he wasn't the one to do it hung unspoken in the air.
Cassian's face was unreadable. "Good. If you have any problems, ask someone to send for me." He paused, then told them, "The Council has been summoned. A few are already here but the rest will trickle in throughout the day. Mon Mothma has set the meeting for tomorrow morning to…discuss the information we've gathered." He looked at Jyn. "They'll be expecting to hear from you, since you're the one who actually heard your father's message and could answer questions. The rest of us only know as much as you told us."
"You think I didn't tell you everything?"
He shook his head. "You probably did, essentially, but abbreviated. They may want more specific details, if you have them."
Jyn looked away, mildly appeased by his answer.
"I know you don't like waiting to act, Jyn, but nothing can be done until the Council discusses it and agrees on what action to take."
"Because it isn't obvious that what needs to happen is a strike force going to Scarif to get the plans?"
"It's obvious to you, and even to some others, but you'll still need to convince the Council. They control the funding and the supplies. Without their support, missions can easily founder. That isn't what you want."
Jyn met his gaze with clenched jaw, but after a moment she relaxed and glanced down. "Anything else we need to do until then?"
"No. Take it easy, look around if you want." He didn't offer to join them, and at length he gave a nod and walked away.
He hadn't gone far, when Jyn's jaw tightened and she went after him. "Cassian!"
Even with the noise of the hangar, he heard her and turned back. She moved closer, avoiding his gaze. It took her a minute to figure out what to say. "I'm…I'm sorry for what I said after Eadu."
He looked slightly past her, avoiding her eyes, but said mildly, "You meant it."
"Yeah, I did. But I didn't…know everything, take everything into account. Because of my anger, I was…too harsh."
He sighed softly. "You had a right to be. When I learned more about your father's message, I should have made more of an effort to make it known to my superiors. I shouldn't have just kept going."
She hesitantly reached out, finally gripping his forearm. "You didn't keep going. That counts for something."
The silence between them became awkward, so Jyn returned to her friends without further comment. Looking between the two of them, Bodhi couldn't tell if their argument was resolved or not. He was glad that she had apologized, or at least apologized as much as he figured she ever did, but she and Cassian both were good at concealing their thoughts and feelings. The outcome of their talk was less than certain.
Luckily, Wedge rejoined them then, dispelling the tension in the air. He guided them on a tour of the base, ending at the mess hall shortly before the noon hour. "I should probably go check in. The repairs will be completed on my ship soon and I'll want to flight check it. Maybe I'll see you around later, though."
Before he could leave, Jyn asked, "Are we allowed to use the training facility? I could do with a workout."
"Sure. Shouldn't be a problem." He grinned. "If anyone argues, tell them Captain Andor approved it." He departed chuckling.
While they were waiting in the food line, a man behind them kept making snide remarks to his companion, loud enough to be sure they'd hear him. Most of the remarks were centered around Bodhi, since his clothing clearly marked him with an Imperial connection. Bodhi tried to merely ignore the guy, though Jyn walking beside him was getting annoyed. Just as they reached the end of the line, she clanged her tray down and turned to the man. "Jyn, don't…" he hissed, but was ignored.
"So," she said, sizing up the fellow who had nearly a foot on her and at least seventy-five pounds, "I haven't had the chance to spar with anyone in quite a while. You interested in being my partner after we eat?"
There was something deceptively disarming about her question. Bodhi had never actually seen her fight anyone, but he couldn't imagine anyone trained by Saw Gerrera would be unskilled. Their antagonist, however, clearly did not know of her history, and was less than impressed with the girl challenging him.
"Hardly worth my time," he snorted.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll make it worth your time." Jyn's smile widened, and now the guy must have seen something in it that made him a little less certain.
Still, he was in the midst of a lot of his comrades, being challenged by this slip of a girl. Their mere presence on the base appeared to rub him the wrong way. Bodhi figured he would enjoy kicking a little butt to work off some of his irritation. "Sure, why not."
If he had expected Jyn to back down, he was mistaken. She just smiled more and picked up her tray. "I'll look forward to it."
The four of them found a table out of the way from everyone else and settled there. "You..you didn't need to do that on my..my account, Jyn," Bodhi insisted.
"On the contrary, Bodhi, I think she did it more for her own entertainment. The gentleman merely provided an appropriate excuse to target him." Chirrut smiled benignly and began eating.
Bodhi glanced at the blind man and then the others, but no one explained Chirrut's words. He supposed she wanted to let off some of her own frustration, and this was a way to do it, but he would hate to see her get hurt on his behalf.
"Jyn—"
"Save it, Bodhi. He wants an argument, then I'll give him one. And get a workout in the bargain."
"But he might…" It was probably tactless to suggest she would lose.
"Don't worry, little brother. She can handle herself. That fellow won't know what hit him." Baze looked at him briefly, smiled slightly and then resumed eating.
"Relax, Bodhi. I'll be fine. If you want to worry about someone, it probably should be him." Jyn's eyes were crinkled with repressed laughter. She really was enjoying this.
"Okay. Just..just be careful."
Baze snorted. "You might need to tell her what that word means."
Jyn now did laugh outright. "Are you suggesting I'm reckless?"
"I'm not 'suggesting' anything. Just stating facts," he replied. "I've seen you fight – on Jedha. Unless you hold back, that's going to be one brief sparring session. He's got size on you, but little else. If I were a betting man, I could make a fortune on this scrap."
"Maybe not this one. I'm not sure these rebels would take kindly to your cleaning out their pockets," she advised. "Wait until next time."
"Next time they won't be caught by surprise," he pointed out.
The two of them chuckled, and Bodhi reconciled himself to the idea that this fight was going to happen, whether he preferred it or not. He wondered if it was even about him anymore, or if it ever had been. With Jyn, he couldn't be sure.
When they all had finished eating, Jyn stood and looked significantly over to where her opponent sat. Bodhi hadn't noticed where he was in the room, but she didn't even have to hunt for him. The man was eyeing her, but rose to meet the challenge without any hesitation.
As they moved down the hallways toward the training room, Jyn did some stretches and bends to warm up. "Can't you do that once you get there?" Bodhi asked. He hoped it wasn't a stupid question, but if this wasn't an actual 'fight', he would expect them to behave in a civil manner. From the look of it, perhaps he had misjudged that.
"Maybe. When sparring, you usually can. In a real fight, you don't get the chance – it just starts. I'm not going to assume the niceties will be observed. That fellow doesn't strike me as the polite sort."
Bodhi was both surprised, and a little alarmed, at how many people were following them, apparently intent on witnessing the match. "Are you sure about this?" he muttered to Jyn.
She reached over and grasped his forearm reassuringly. "Relax. This won't take long and I'll be fine. The hard part will be finding anyone else to take me on after they watch us fight."
He wasn't sure her words were as reassuring as she intended them to be, but there seemed to be no other recourse than to trust her. The training room held no formal stands where they could sit, but there were crates around the area, likely to store equipment, and Baze led them to one where they could all sit with a full view of the match. Everyone else, other than the participants, filed in and found spots on other crates or standing around the edges.
"What's this?" a voice asked, and Bodhi glanced back apprehensively to see that sergeant from before – had Wedge called him Melshi? – standing behind them.
"Just a friendly sparring match," Chirrut offered, humor evident in his voice.
"Friendly, huh?" For some reason that Bodhi didn't understand, the man rubbed absently at his chest.
The man next to him commented, "If anyone would take my bet, I'd put 50 on Murtagh. That little girl doesn't stand a chance."
Bodhi stiffened and turned to look, just as Melshi smiled. "I'll take that bet, Sefla. Call me a sucker for the underdogs." There was something in the man's face that suggested it was more than that, but his companion agreed to the bet.
"I'll try not to hurt you too much, mess up your pretty face," Murtagh sneered.
Jyn grinned. "Thanks. Very kind of you. I'll try to return the favor."
Murtagh's brow knit, not sure how to take her words. Bodhi's chest tightened as the start neared, and he had to force himself to breathe normally.
"Don't worry, little brother," Baze murmured again. "She'll be fine. Trust me. He's the one who's in over his head."
Without warning, it began. Murtagh launched himself at her, going for the 'overwhelm with his size' approach. Unfortunately for him, Jyn knew how to underwhelm with her size. She dropped low, swept her leg and and caught him behind the knees, throwing him off balance. Unable to check his momentum, he crashed to the mat.
Jyn danced away, accepting a roll of tape that someone held out and wrapping her hands while she watched him rise. Bodhi thought he looked angered by the fall – he would have expected him to be wary. Jyn still had a slight smile on her face. It was clear she still wasn't worried about her opponent.
He lunged again, while she was still taping her hand, and tried to punch her in the face with his huge right fist. At the last moment, Jyn sidestepped, caught hold of his arm and again used his momentum against him. This time, however, he was ready and managed to stay on his feet. Jyn finished taping her hands and tossed the roll behind her, out of the fight area.
"You gonna fight or just duck and run?" the oaf snarled.
"Just letting you get warmed up is all." She met his gaze evenly, unmoved by his growing irritation.
He rushed at her and managed to snag her in his arms, but with his greater height it meant he had to lean down to do it. As soon as his arms closed around her, she took her feet off the floor, giving him her full weight and it overbalanced him. As they fell, she somehow managed to get a foot up, plant it in his stomach and used her backward roll to propel him up and over her head. He slammed to the mat. A moment later, she had danced back to her feet, while he was trying to shake off the hard fall he had taken.
As he clambered to his feet, Jyn started moving. She reached him before he got off his knees and jabbed her elbow hard into his neck. When he howled and twisted away, she threw a kick into his side that toppled him once more.
Now the man's face was filled with rage. "He's going to kill her!" Bodhi exclaimed. "She's really made him mad now."
"Never fight when you are angry. Not unless you can channel that anger into force and determination." Bodhi blinked at Chirrut's words, not understanding what he meant.
"If you let anger control you," Baze explained, "it will also blind you. Make you careless. He's reached that point. This fight will be over soon – he's already lost."
Behind them Melshi said quietly, "I think we need you training our recruits." After a pause, he added, "And her to kick their tails so they learn the lessons."
Reluctantly, Bodhi decided to trust them. He knew nothing about fighting himself, but these men did. And Jyn didn't strike him as someone willing to take a beating just because she was angry. If she was doing this, she must think she stood a chance.
Baze was right – a couple of minutes more and the man was on his back, one arm pinned beneath him and Jyn's arm pressed against his throat.
"What's going on here?"
That voice Bodhi did recognize. He swallowed hard as he turned to look at Cassian, but Melshi was already explaining. "Simple. I'm making an easy 50 credits, if you'll stay out of it."
Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose. "You wagered on Jyn?"
Melshi again made that rubbing motion on his chest and growled, "Damn right I did."
For the first time since Bodhi had met him, he saw the faintest hint of a smile tweak at Cassian's mouth. "I was never here." With that he slipped into the crowd and Bodhi lost sight of him.
It was clear her opponent didn't like it, but others were flooding onto the mat, congratulating Jyn, and discussing the match. Whether Murtagh thought so or not, the bout was over and everyone deemed Jyn the winner.
"Shoulda known better than to take one of your bets, Melsh. I forgot you only bet sure things." Sefla handed over the credits and Melshi slipped them in his pocket with a smile. "She barely broke a sweat," Sefla mumbled as he walked away.
"Tell Erso I owe her a drink." With that, Melshi sauntered away also.
"I wonder how he knew," Bodhi mused.
"Must have seen her fight before." Baze shoved to his feet and went to join the others around Jyn.
She was unwrapping the tape from her hands, and Bodhi was curious who had given it to her. Everyone in the crowd had seemed antagonistic before the match. Then the crowd parted slightly and he glimpsed Wedge standing to the side, twirling the tape roll on his finger, and knew. Maybe there was a chance they could make friends here after all.
Bodhi and Chirrut sat quietly waiting for the crowd to thin and wander off. A small group remained around Jyn, asking questions, and she and Baze were giving instructions and demonstrations of a few techniques. He smiled ruefully. Maybe if there was time, he should get Jyn to teach him how to fight. Or at least defend himself somewhat. He was pretty sure his grandmother could beat him up; not that he'd ever fight back against her, but still.
"Enough fun for one day?" Chirrut asked, pulling Bodhi from his reverie to notice Baze and Jyn approaching.
She shrugged. "Just letting off a little excess energy is all. Baze is mad at me, though. I wouldn't let him bet, but apparently someone else did and claimed the payout he had anticipated."
"Baze is rich in other ways," Chirrut said with a smile.
"Maybe, but credits in my pocket would still be nice."
Chirrut hopped to his feet. "Well, since the mat is clear, perhaps I will do some exercises. Care to join me, Baze."
The man snorted. "I'll watch. Your exercises are too tame for me. I exercise more like Jyn does."
"Suit yourself."
While he took his place on the mat, Baze and Jyn settled beside Bodhi on the crate to watch. The guardian began making slow careful movements, with seemingly little force behind them.
After watching for several minutes, Bodhi asked, "Is this really considered exercise? He's barely moving."
Baze glanced at him. "We learned these movements in the Temple. You move slowly, precisely, fluidly. Breathing is an essential part of it. Proper breathing aids the circulation, eases stress, builds strength. You clear your mind of thoughts that weigh upon you. Then, once you have mastered the movements, they can be applied to fighting – the application of force in an optimum way." He gestured to Jyn. "Little sister does some of it without realizing it. If I throw a punch and she tries to throw a punch to meet it, neither of us will achieve our goal. When her opponent lunged, she knew how to move and use her 'pull' to allow his force to do the work. She didn't have to throw him to the ground – he did it himself. She just helped him in his effort."
Bodhi wasn't sure he understood all that, but murmured, "It's…it's almost…beautiful." He flushed slightly at his wording, but it truly was.
"Yes." Baze nodded. "It is meant to be, but it can also be deadly when sped up and used effectively. It is both soft and strong."
Bodhi was going to have to take his word for it; he still didn't entirely understand. Even so, he believed what Baze was telling him.
"You should have Chirrut teach this to you, Bodhi."
He blinked at Jyn's remark. "What? Why? So I can fight?"
She shook her head. "No. For that, you'd be better off if I showed you some things. I think this would take too long to master as a way to fight." She hesitated, then said, "It might be soothing and aid in your sleep, if it does what Baze says it does." She carefully didn't look at him.
"Yes. This, and meditation – they would help. Just don't get Chirrut started talking about them unless you really want to learn. Once you get him going, he won't stop."
Bodhi and Jyn chuckled at that.
Chirrut carried on for another half hour before finishing and returning to join them. "What should we do now?" Bodhi asked, glancing at the chron on the wall.
"I'm thinking a nap before supper," Baze grumped.
No one argued with the suggestion, so they all filed off toward their quarters. "I need a shower," Jyn announced, to no one in particular. "The sweat dried, mostly, but this planet doesn't completely let it dissipate."
"Uh, why don't you do that and I'm going to see if I can find a sabacc deck. We could play some tonight, to pass the time. If you want."
"Not Chirrut," Baze insisted. "He cheats." Chirrut grinned broadly, but did not deny the accusation.
"Uh, right. Anyway, see you all in a little while." He glanced quickly at Jyn and then away, not sure how it would work with his mattress on her floor.
"I'll come find you after my shower," she suggested, and he let out a breath of relief.
"Okay. Yeah."
xx
To Bodhi's surprise, several people were friendly after Jyn's 'spar' with one of their own. He wasn't sure why that should have made a difference, but not everyone was glaring at him. It didn't take very long to track down a sabacc deck. If there was anything in his life that he was good at, it was sabacc. He didn't win all the time, but it was often enough that he usually walked away with full pockets. Not that he intended to try to take money from his friends, but it would be something they could use to entertain themselves.
Once he had procured the deck, he spent more time in the hangar, admiring the fighters, and that was where Jyn found him. He wasn't really interested in taking a nap, so when Jyn suggested they take a walk outside, he agreed.
"It's so different here from Jedha," he observed. "As you know, I guess. I never really spent much time anywhere other than Jedha or Imperial facilities where I flew. But I didn't get to do much looking around on other planets, so I mostly just saw what was outside my shuttle viewscreen."
When she didn't respond, he said, "You've travelled to a lot of places, haven't you?"
"Yeah." She hunched her shoulders. "Sometimes it was best not to stay in one place too long. And sometimes it was necessary to stay on the move in order to make a living."
"How did you do that? Or…do I not want to know?"
She grinned and then shrugged. "I did a little of a lot of things, but they included smuggling and forging codes for ships. If things got too dangerous with local police or the Imps, I moved on."
It saddened him to hear her speak of it so matter-of-factly. And it sounded like a lonely existence. Little wonder she had become aggressive and prickly, between her time with Saw and on her own. Even if she wasn't actually his sister, he hated thinking of her – or anyone else, for that matter – having to live that way.
Maybe she sensed the direction his thoughts had taken. "It wasn't all bad, though, Bodhi. I did get to see a lot of different places and meet a lot of different people."
"If you could go back to any of the planets or cities you've seen, which one would you choose?"
She considered only briefly. "Probably Takodana. It's so green there. I mean, yeah, this jungle is green, but it's…different. A lushness, with grass and blue sky and equally blue lakes. And quiet, you know? Peaceful. There's a place there, Maz Kanata's castle. It's owned and run by Maz, an old pirate who's been around forever. The place is neutral and everyone is welcome, and Maz strictly enforces her policy of no violence. I mean, yeah, there were smugglers and all sorts there, but everyone followed Maz's rules. While I was there, I didn't feel quite so much like I needed to keep looking over my shoulder."
"Well, if you liked it so much, why didn't you stay? It sounds really nice."
She shrugged. "Partly it was that I got restless, but also I could tell the way some of the visitors there looked at me that they might have suspicions about me. They wouldn't have done anything there and risked Maz's wrath, but I guess all my time with Saw made me a little paranoid, too. I figured it was better to bolt than give them a chance to figure anything out and try to do something."
While they talked, they had been following a footpath around the perimeter of the ziggurat's base. By the time they finished the circuit, Bodhi was tired and hungry – it had been a longer walk than he had anticipated. "Want to get supper?"
"Sure," Jyn agreed, leading the way since he still felt a little uncertain about getting around.
They had gotten food and only been seated some five minutes when Baze and Chirrut joined them. After they finished, they adjourned to Jyn's room, where they pulled her mattress onto the floor also, spread the blankets on top of them and settled down to play cards. As there were only four of them, they let Chirrut play, despite Baze's warning from earlier. They whiled away several hours talking and playing sabacc.
Part of the conversation centered on satisfying Bodhi's curiosity about the guardians. Being a Jedhan, he knew of the Temple there and the role they had played. What he didn't know was how they had come to be with Jyn and Cassian when they rescued him from Saw's prison.
One thing was certain – Chirrut did cheat at cards. Baze had been right about that. Bodhi still hadn't figured out how he did it, but the blind man won an inordinate number of games for it merely to be luck. Those he did lose, Bodhi suspected he did so on purpose. Someone had to sit out a hand to tell Chirrut what his cards were, but Bodhi couldn't attribute his wins to that partner – they had taken turns doing it. Even when he was the one sitting with Chirrut, he couldn't spot how exactly the man just knew what to play and when. It would be useful if he could learn that, though if it was in fact cheating, it might also be dangerous.
Eventually, they were talked out and too tired to play sabacc any longer. The guardians took themselves off to their room while Bodhi helped Jyn get her mattress back on the bed. He glanced at the chrono on the wall. "I guess we should try to get some sleep. You've got that council meeting to attend in the morning."
Jyn merely nodded, gazing pensively into space. Suddenly she glanced at him. "Will you go with me?"
"Me? Why? They aren't going to listen to anything I might say. And I didn't see your father's message."
She shrugged. "Moral support?" She didn't look directly at him when she said it, and he was surprised to realize that maybe she was a little embarrassed by her request.
"Sure. Of course. If I can help, I'll be there." If it helped her, he figured he could go and stand silently beside her. It was the least he could do after all she had done for him.
When she got up to change into her night clothes, he took himself off to his room to change also before rejoining her a few minutes later. Once the light was out, he could no longer see her in the darkness, even though he was facing in her direction. He just hoped she could get some sleep. She was probably going to need all her strength for tomorrow.
xx
The night passed relatively peacefully. Bodhi did jolt awake once, from a dream that included Saw and Bor Gullet, but perhaps due to Jyn's presence nearby making him feel safe, after just a moment the specifics were fading away. He was able to calm his breathing, use the 'fresher, and get back to sleep within a quarter of an hour. Even better, in the morning, Jyn looked more rested, as though she had managed to sleep through most of the night.
Still, her tenseness was almost tangible. Unsure how to ease her nerves about the upcoming meeting, he settled for light, general, innocuous conversation. He didn't know how much it helped, but she had looked at him and smiled a time or two, as though she knew what he was doing and appreciated it.
While he wasn't surprised that Baze and Chirrut declined attending the meeting, if they could even gain entry, he had sort of thought to see Cassian there. It was possible he was hidden among the large group gathered, but if so, Bodhi didn't see him. He had seen Jyn look around when they first arrived, and she appeared a little disappointed also. He assumed it was due to Cassian's absence, though he couldn't be certain of that.
The room was far more crowded than he had expected; stuffed, in fact, so that moving around was difficult. Wedge had mentioned there were rumors flying around. It appeared a lot of people wanted to find out what was actually going on. He could deal with the techs and pilots and soldiers, but all the dignitaries and generals were more intimidating. He couldn't imagine how Jyn had the nerve to face them and even speak. He moved slightly closer behind her, either to reassure her or himself. More likely the latter.
A woman in a long white robe stepped forward to conduct the meeting. "Mon Mothma," Jyn whispered to him, "a former Senator."
When it didn't seem the room could hold any more people, Mon Mothma began and Jyn shared the information brought from her father. To his astonishment, instead of jumping on this to act quickly to obtain the plans, they were talking of disbanding! Scattering the fleet! Were they insane? Didn't they hear what she was telling them? They had one chance – a chance Galen had given them and lost his life making sure they knew about – and instead they wanted to retreat and give up.
There were a few who were listening. Admiral Raddus staunchly agreed with Jyn and the need to act immediately, and a few other voices seconded that opinion. But in the end, the cowardly Council members held the control and made the decisions.
"I'm sorry, Jyn. Without the full support of the Council, the odds are too great." Despite her words, Bodhi thought Mon Mothma truly regretted the failure to act. She could not make the decision alone, but he felt certain she was on their side in this.
He had seen Jyn get angry before, with Cassian as they left Eadu, but now she kept silent, turning and hurrying from the room. He hastened to follow her, pushing through the crowd on her heels. As they came out into the hangar area, he stayed close, wanting to be there for her, but not approaching since he could think of nothing to say that would help.
Bodhi was seething inside, and it was not an emotion he was intimately familiar with. Granted, he had never had much regard for fancy, important people, but the military leaders and politicians he'd just left were the worst. How could they ignore Jyn, not believe her? Did they really want to lie down and do nothing after what happened on Jedha? Did they really believe that would somehow save them? The Empire would crush anyone it chose, on a mere whim. They were fools.
To his surprise, Chirrut and Baze were waiting near where they exited. They hadn't talked about meeting up anywhere after the meeting, so he wasn't sure how the guardians had known which of the several exits they would come out.
"You don't look happy," Baze called as they came into view.
"They prefer to surrender," Jyn sneered.
"And you?" Baze asked.
Chirrut answered for her. "She wants to fight."
"So do I. We all do." Bodhi's words were firm, determined.
Chirrut's assertion that the Force was strong didn't exactly impress Jyn. "I'm not sure four of us is quite enough." Bodhi had to agree with her. He knew the strength of the Empire.
"How many do we need?" Baze asked, an unexpected question.
"What are you talking about?" Jyn replied, and the big man gestured behind her.
As she turned, Bodhi noticed a large group of soldiers gathered behind Cassian and slowly approaching. Despite her apology yesterday, he knew they weren't fully reconciled.
"They were never gonna believe you."
As Bodhi anticipated, Jyn didn't much like his remark. "I appreciate the support."
"But I do. I believe you. We'd like to volunteer. Some of us...most of us, we've done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion. Spies. Saboteurs. Assassins. Everything I did, I did for the Rebellion. And every time I walked away from something I wanted to forget I told myself it was for a cause that I believed in. A cause that was worth it. Without that, we're lost. Everything we've done would have been for nothing. I couldn't face myself if I gave up now. None of us could."
He was as stunned by this development as Jyn obviously was. But he had always believed there was more to Cassian than met the eye. When she just kept standing there staring at Cassian, overwhelmed, he decided maybe a nudge would be of use.
"It won't be comfortable. It'd be a bit cramped, but we'd all fit. We could go."
That seemed to be the impetus to get things started. Jyn turned and gave him a nod to get moving, and he set off for the Imperial shuttle they had come in to make preparations.
He had never been a hero. He didn't stand out in any way. He'd even failed to make it as a fighter pilot, and scraped by to become a shuttle pilot. Probably a mediocre one at that. But he was tired of running and hiding and letting everyone else bully him. He was no hero, but he refused to be a coward any longer. If Jyn wanted to fight, he would stand beside her. Perhaps he'd be the first to fall, the weak link, but he'd give it everything he had. For Jedha. For Galen and Jyn. For himself.
The End
1/31/18 – 4/14/18
Note: Chirrut's exercises are essentially Tai Chi.